Disclaimer: Don't own Gambit; do own pretty much everyone else.
A/N: Please read and review?
11
Fires and Blaze were a dangerous mix, even though the mutant girl denied herself her powers to start them as far as she could. Her new beau better not take her out for a candlelit dinner, at least not if he wanted to keep his eyebrows. The thought tickled Gambit as he took a drag on another cigarette, indulging himself whilst it was safe to do so. At least so he though, when suddenly an orange flash and wave of heat smacked him in the face and he had to drop the fiery stick and stamp on it, or loose his own eyebrows.
"Saved your life," Blaze chirruped, joining Remy on the balcony to their apartment. She passed through the sliding glass door and moved to the white painted iron railing. Placing her hands shoulder's width apart, she lifted herself clear of the balcony and executed a perfect handstand, four storeys above ground level. She held it for a moment, feet together, legs straight, and asked, "You get rid of that blue-haired scally yet?"
"Non," Remy told her. "You fall I'm gonna laugh so hard…"
"Sod off," Blaze cursed him, returning to the right side of the railing and turning round to face him. "You falling for her?"
"Non," Gambit answered, folding his arms defensively.
"You sure?" Blaze pestered, tilting her head to one side inquisitively. Gambit didn't even dignify the question with an answer.
"What about you Cherie? Is someone getting the best o' you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Blaze asked darkly. Then she changed the subject before he could elaborate, "Do you ever get tired of starting again somewhere new?"
"Do you Petite?" Gambit danced the question. Blaze shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself. "You fallin' for him?"
"Non," Blaze echoed Gambit's earlier dismissal. Then, feeling defensive with his red-on-black eyes looking at her so acutely, so soul-searchingly, she quantified her relationship with Lance in bitter words. "I just needed somewhere to hang my head, without your noose."
Gambit said nothing, biting his lip as Blaze grimaced and turned away from him. That had been nasty, she hadn't meant it to sound so aggressive. The sun was warm on her skin as she closed her eyes and lifted her face to the white, bright sky. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself before Remy spoke again. She wasn't quick enough.
"So who is he? What he got dat Gambit ain't?" Remy didn't mean to sound jealous. It just slipped out that way. "I'm no fool Blaze. He better be treatin' you right."
"Why do you care mon Ami?" Blaze took his protectiveness as an affront to her independence, and it made her angry. "That's what I really don't get about you. Rumour is you're a real charmer, and the laydees all love you. That's why I get so much grief from them, they're always resentful that we're friends." Her voice cracked and a touch of her pain showed itself in her anger. "I mean, remember Mercury, she threatened to kill me over you, and she and I had been friends for ages! But you're never charming or suave or even nice to me. You stand there prying in my life, who I'm with, what I'm doing. Yet you never give me a single reason to stay with you rather than go out and find someone new. If only your girlfriends had something to be resentful of, Rem. Well go on, try me!" She turned round and opened her arms as if inviting an attack. "Prove that you've got it Remy, here and now, I dare you. I call your bluff, bring it on!"
Gambit just looked at her for a second as if she was going insane. Blaze could feel a flush of embarrassment reaching her cheeks. She'd as good as spelt it out for him that she did see what other did in him. Maybe he'd already known. Maybe he just wasn't attracted to her. Well done Blaze, she cursed herself, open mouth insert foot. You'll never live this one down.
"Sounds like a challenge," Remy eventually admitted, shaking his head softly. He looked Blaze over wickedly, a boyish smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Oh she gone an' asked for it dis time, he thought as he dropped his arms to his sides and closed the space between them. Obviously mortified, Blaze wouldn't look at him. She'd fixed her eyes on the middle distance and even trembled slightly as he came and stood besides her. He didn't touch her, but unleashed his silver tongue to caress her with saccharine words.
"You worry too much mon Petite Cherie. Electra ain't gonna replace you, none of them are. Dis ain't somet'ing they even understand. You and me, we're too damn close, non? Nobody else put me t'rough what you do," he chuckled slightly at his own words, placing a hand next to Blaze's on the railing. He could see her apprehension changing, becoming tension that was not unwelcome. "I'm here for you Chere, always will be."
In contrast to how he was really feeling if he was honest with himself, Remy calmly placed his other hand on Blaze's spine, just above her waist. She seemed ready to shake his touch off, but something unspoken made her hesitate. Gambit knew he had her when she looked at him and met his bizarre eyes without blinking. That was usually an excellent way to tell if someone was falling for his charms. Even very close friends couldn't meet his red-on-black eyes so openly and honestly for very long without flinching. "Relax Cherie," he told her, "What's the worst that could happen?"
"I'm not sure," Blaze sceptically raised an eyebrow, but at the same time placed one hand on Gambit's chest and the other on his belly. He drew her close and raised her chin with his free hand. Stroking her jaw he ran his fingers to the back of her neck, tangling with her hair. He could feel her pushing her warm fingers under the edge of his t-shirt to touch his bare skin. A sudden hunger consumed him. Two could play at that game. He lifted the hem of her top above the small of her back and placed his fingertips on her spine. Blaze automatically moved closer to him, pressing her thighs against his and letting him take some of her weight on the arm that now wrapped around her shoulders.
"Damn you're good…" she chastised him weakly, exploring his eyes. Remy smiled his wicked smile again, "Chere, I'm the best." He smoothed his hand downwards, inside her jeans. She opened her mouth as if to protest, before changing her mind and closing it again. Remy frowned ever so slightly, raising an eyebrow himself, "Thong?"
"Commando," Blaze answered with a blush. Gambit's smile turned lecherous as he scooped her more fully into his arms. He knew Blaze could feel exactly how much he was enjoying this and didn't care. She'd brought this on herself, and from the way her hands burned as she stroked his chest she was feeling pretty damn hot too. There was only one way this was going to end.